Smoking Barrels - LTT's Unnofficial Gun Club!

[Rybo]

On 8/17/2020 at 1:10 AM, Jito463 said:

I'll be honest, I always stick my finger behind the trigger whenever I holster my firearms, just on the off chance that something might snag it during insertion.  It's likely in the range of 1-in-1,000,000 (if not greater) chance that it would ever happen, but I prefer to play it safe.

Ooooooo, now I'm nervous that you'll get a discharge trying to find that cavity!   

 

You're aware of your holstering actions, though, so you're doing better than lots of folks out there.  Lots of people go full operator and just shove their gun into their holsters without even looking.  Like you said, it's a 1-in-a-million shot, but when that millionth shot moves through your leg at 900 fps, it's worth being careful!  

If you're open to suggestions I'd recommend getting comfortable keeping your trigger finger out of the trigger well while holstering.  Just use your offhand to clear the way for the gun.  If any instructors or RSO's see your booger hook in there while you're holstering, you're very likely to get a dressing down regardless of whether your holstering strategy is safer.  

 

On a side note: I use hammer fired guns for this very reason.  Get your thumb over the hammer and the gun is as good as inoperable.  So holstering becomes WAY safer.  Plus the side benefit that the gun is basically inert until the trigger is pulled.  Striker fired guns are perfectly safe, but there's still a taught spring held back by naught but a mechanical safety involved when cocked.  

Edited August 18, 2020 by Rybo
changed bugger to booger. Spelling is im-por-tant

[Nine Tailed Fox]

3/8 20" torso ar500 prepped

[Rybo]

11 minutes ago, Nine Tailed Fox said:

YESSS!!!!  I love at-home ranges.  I sometimes wish I was rural enough to be able to have one.  

 

Protip: don't shoot it with a 556 inside of 100 yards.  I bought one and got some splashing at 50 yards -- i.e., I actually dug into the steel with rounds in that range.  YES, I realize they instruct you not to do it on the product package, but the place I was at was only 50 yards deep and I wanted something I wouldn't have to constantly reset.  

[Nine Tailed Fox]

2 minutes ago, Rybo said:

YESSS!!!!  I love at-home ranges.  I sometimes wish I was rural enough to be able to have one.  

 

Protip: don't shoot it with a 556 inside of 100 yards.  I bought one and got some splashing at 50 yards -- i.e., I actually dug into the steel with rounds in that range.  YES, I realize they instruct you not to do it on the product package, but the place I was at was only 50 yards deep and I wanted something I wouldn't have to constantly reset.  

Only going to be shooting 9mm at it going to last forever lol >10 yards

[Jito463]

14 hours ago, Rybo said:

On a side note: I use hammer fired guns for this very reason.  Get your thumb over the hammer and the gun is as good as inoperable.

My secondary EDC is a hammer striker H&K P2000, however, even then I put my finger behind the trigger (though I also keep my thumb over the hammer).

14 hours ago, Rybo said:

If you're open to suggestions I'd recommend getting comfortable keeping your trigger finger out of the trigger well while holstering.  Just use your offhand to clear the way for the gun.

I'm sure there are plenty of ways I can safely insert my firearms into the holster besides the way I'm doing it currently, I just find this is the simplest and most straightforward way for me, at least for the time being.  I'm constantly considering better ways of doing things, though, so I'll keep your advice in mind.

[Nine Tailed Fox]

Stand I'll be using hopefully T shape and weight of steel would keep it stable enough can't anchor it into hard dirt/clay 2x4 cut to 48"

[vf1000ride]

42 minutes ago, Nine Tailed Fox said:

3/8 20" torso ar500 prepped

 

Here's what you get when you fire "specialty" .30-06 ammo from a rifle at mild steel.  3/4" thick scrapyard steel at 100yards, not all but enough came out the back side.

[Nine Tailed Fox]

6 minutes ago, vf1000ride said:

Here's what you get when you fire "specialty" .30-06 ammo from a rifle at mild steel.  3/4" thick scrapyard steel at 100yards, not all but enough came out the back side.

 

well yeah it's a .30-06 rifle and some cheap steel lol

[Real_PhillBert]

I dont know if I've ever shared my "home" made steel targets:

 

 

Strike faces are 12" diameter 1-1/4" Hardox 500 drops from my work. I drew up some 3/8" Gr50 tripod mounts and just had them laser cut and formed. They're solid as frig, but about 100lbs each, so they really dont get moved. 

[LordVetinari]

Evening all from the small side of the pond. I will post pictures later but I have:

 

12 guage W.Hensman side by side circa 1913

12 guage Beretta 685e

16 guage Midland Gun company side by side circa 1941

16 guage Tula Toz-63 hammer gun.

 

Mainly clay shooting but also some pigeon (dove) and general pest (covid, rabbit,fox, squirrel). 

 

 

[LordVetinari]

Fished out some pictures.

 

Tula at the top with the Midland below. 16 is a brilliant guage for small game.

 

Two of the Hensman - light is rubbish but the barrels are a lovely chocolate brown 

 

Then the Beretta - she needs some better photos. 

[Real_PhillBert]

16 minutes ago, LordVetinari said:

Fished out some pictures.

 

Tula at the top with the Midland below. 16 is a brilliant guage for small game.

 

Two of the Hensman - light is rubbish but the barrels are a lovely chocolate brown 

 

Then the Beretta - she needs some better photos. 

*SNIP*

Those are beautiful!

[Nine Tailed Fox]

good 2 go tomorrow morning

[LordVetinari]

8 hours ago, Real_PhillBert said:

Those are beautiful!

Thanks, I'm more than a little jealous of the hand guns, something that's nigh on impossible to get over here (other than black powder).

[atxcyclist]

41 minutes ago, LordVetinari said:

Thanks, I'm more than a little jealous of the hand guns, something that's nigh on impossible to get over here (other than black powder).

Are black powder revolvers treated the same as flintlocks and other single-shot muzzleloading pistols? I have an 1858 New Army revolver that’s quite a bit of fun at the range. Cleaning is an undertaking but they pull apart fairly easily because of it.
 

Where are you located?

[LordVetinari]

5 hours ago, atxcyclist said:

Are black powder revolvers treated the same as flintlocks and other single-shot muzzleloading pistols? I have an 1858 New Army revolver that’s quite a bit of fun at the range. Cleaning is an undertaking but they pull apart fairly easily because of it.
 

Where are you located?

I'm in the UK so very different set of laws. But yes, black powder revolvers are the same as other single shot black powder pistols. A muzzle loader rifle/long barrel is less controlled. 

 

A revolver is definitely the way I would go should I find time in-between all the other things I have going on!

[Nine Tailed Fox]

[Rybo]

Just saw some 9mm ammo pop up online for 50 cents per round.  Almost bought it, but I just can't make myself do it.  I really want to get back to shooting, but I just cannot make myself spend that much on ammo

[Real_PhillBert]

13 minutes ago, Rybo said:

Just saw some 9mm ammo pop up online for 50 cents per round.  Almost bought it, but I just can't make myself do it.  I really want to get back to shooting, but I just cannot make myself spend that much on ammo

I know what you mean. I've pretty well stopped shooting USPSA for the last six months because I dont want to dip into my ammo fort, and dont want to pay the current prices. It's pretty wild.

 

Also I'm in the middle of a 5.56 SBR build and those prices have gotten even more out of hand, SGammo has M193 right now at $0.70per and I just cant bring myself to pay that. Luckily I have a few cases tucked away, but I likely wont be shooting that nearly as much as I'd hoped when it's finished. 

[Guest]

27 minutes ago, Rybo said:

Just saw some 9mm ammo pop up online for 50 cents per round.  Almost bought it, but I just can't make myself do it.  I really want to get back to shooting, but I just cannot make myself spend that much on ammo

Bulk steel 4 lyfe 

[Nine Tailed Fox]

And there's a thunderstorm first one in months. Perfect timing since I left early morning 16:00 now

[atxcyclist]

I’m going to be loading some “light” .41 Magnum in the next few days, since finding I had the components I needed already. My current loads I have are quite stupid for range use, 1500 FPS and 1100 foot pounds out of my Ruger Blackhawk.

 

The new loading will be around 1100 FPS and 650 foot points, so lighter but not really light. More than enough for target practice and dealing with the feral hogs out where I hunt.

[Snadzies]

On 8/19/2020 at 10:17 AM, Rybo said:

Just saw some 9mm ammo pop up online for 50 cents per round.  Almost bought it, but I just can't make myself do it.  I really want to get back to shooting, but I just cannot make myself spend that much on ammo

Holy crap.

I haven't been to the range or shopped for ammo since the start of 2020 so the thought of 9mm ammo going for 50 cents a round and being thought of as a deal at that price is mind boggling.

[Quinnell]

On 8/19/2020 at 3:13 AM, LordVetinari said:

I'm in the UK so very different set of laws.

 

F.  

 

I feel for ya man.  I am lucky enough to live in the States where it is still legal (for now...).    At some point very soon I need to start investing more into my self defense supply.

[LordVetinari]

30 minutes ago, Quinnell said:

 

F.  

 

I feel for ya man.  I am lucky enough to live in the States where it is still legal (for now...).    At some point very soon I need to start investing more into my self defense supply.

The UK is more restrictive than the US, but it's not as bad as some commentators on YouTube would have you believe. The difference basically boils down to two fundamental points: 1) you cannot own a firearm for self defense and 2) you cannot hunt on public land (unless you are employed to do so, which is restricted to a handful of government agencies).

 

In the UK you need a licence to hold a firearm, although there is no hunters ed or any other test for it other than a chat with the police (and a criminal records check) and a note from your Dr saying that as far as they know your not crazy.

 

Licences come in three types:

 

Section 1: rifled firearm, semi automatic rifles up to .22, a smooth bore firearm with a barrel length less than 24” (oh yeah, when it comes to shooting the UK still uses yards, feet and inches), a smooth bore firearm with a capacity greater than 3 and air rifles greater than 12ft/lbs.

 

Section 2: smooth bore firearm with barrel more than 24” and a capacity of 3 or less (What I have)

 

Section 5: handguns (restricted to two shot), other semi automatics. (These are insanely hard to get)

 

The requirements for each are slightly different. For a section 2 you just need to say you want one and show you have safe storage, generally a safe or cabinet but not always.

 

For section 1 you need to state 'good reason' for owning and show you have somewhere to use it, plus the safe storage. The 'good reason' is not as bad as it sounds, hunting, joining a club/range, pest control, hunting trip abroad etc etc is about as far as that goes. Although you do need to show good reason for each calibre. The finding somewhere to use it is a pain for hunting, you need permission from a landowner to do so. Section 5 handguns are also similar, but the only good reason is 'humane  dispatch' and unless you are a vet or game keeper, paid professional hunter then you can pretty much forget it. Ammunition for section 1 is also limited, but as you pretty much get to chose that limit within reason that's not a huge deal and only applicable to full rounds so reloaders are pretty much free to stockpile. License are renewed every 5 years, although there is currently a push to up that to 10.

 

All that will have second amendment afficinadios nashing their teeth, but don't forget we in the UK have never had anything like the 2nd amendment to lose so we are starting from very different points.

 

But some bonuses:

 

1) No wait times. Once you have a license for something you can buy it.

2) expanding ammunition, night and thermal vision, silencers/moderators are all freely available

3) hunting on private land means that once you have it the likelyhood of being disturbed by another hunter and/or member of the public pretty much nil.

 

Pretty much if you want it you can have it. .457 rigby for that trip to SA - sure. 22 semi automatic for targets or popping rabbits - sure. In practice the system is not as restrictive as it seems.

 

The only thing that sticks in my craw is that I can relatively easily get hold of a .50 rifle but a 9mm pistol - that's a hard no.